Offshoring Said to Zap Electrical Engineers' Wages
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -
Electrical engineers have come in
for a shock: for the first time in more than three decades of
technological innovation, their salaries are dropping.
The median salary of an electrical engineer working in the
United States fell $1,500 in 2003, according to a survey
released this week by the IEEE-USA, a membership organization
of 225,000 engineers. It was the first drop since the group
started tallying data in 1972.
"These results are disturbing, but not surprising,"
IEEE-USA President John Steadman said in a statement. The group
blamed a combination of offshore outsourcing, competition from
foreigners on guest worker visas, and rising health insurance
costs.
The drop contrasts with growth in overall U.S. personal
income of more than 3 percent in 2003.
Electrical engineers, who were critical to the development
of the personal computer, the cellular phone and the Internet,
have seen their salaries rise commensurate with the importance
of electronics in society. Ten years ago, the median salary was
$67,000. By 2002, that had grown to $101,000.
In 2003, the median wage dropped to $99,500.
The decline bolsters claims that the move by some U.S.
employers to relocate technology jobs to places like India and
China is squeezing local employees.
"It's tough for someone to go demand a raise when they know
they could lose their job overseas," said IEEE-USA spokesman
Chris McManes.
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